Antigravity
by ErinisMagic
Summary: Government surveillance is just a thing right? It always has been, and it always will be, and there's nothing wrong with that, right? Hiro isn't so sure anymore. Yeah, it can be a little annoying at times, but is he really going to give up everything he's ever known to fight it? Apparently, yes.
1. Chapter 1

Hiro ducked into the shadows of the dingy alley, hiding himself as best he could behind a large dumpster. On the little-used street not too far away, patrol cars drove by in a line, one after another after another. Their headlights illuminated the road before them, and volunteers shone flashlights out the windows, cutting through the darkness of the alleys, as they tried to catch any citizens out of bed after curfew.

Luckily, the dumpster was big enough to hide Hiro from view, and he was far enough from the bot fight that no one else was around to get him caught. The teen let out a sigh of relief as the last car passed by, waiting a few moments to let his eyes adjust to the returned dimness before moving out from his hiding spot. He tiptoed to the end of the alley and peeked out.

A few feet down the street was a lamppost sporting, at the top, a government regulation camera. Hiro stared at it for a few moments to make sure it was still on night-time mode before pulling a bed sheet out of his backpack.

When on night-time mode, all the cameras became motion-activated, rather than just recording everything like they did during the day. Not many citizens knew this, only rule-breakers like Hiro.

Shouldering his backpack, Hiro held the sheet up in front of him, quickly walking to the next alley. He knew that no citizen was watching him, but he felt very foolish, walking down the street with a bed sheet held in front of him. Still, it did the trick; the camera didn't activate.

Safely in the next alley, Hiro stuffed the sheet back into his backpack. He was about to start down the dark passage when a voice behind him froze him in fear.

"Clever," it said.

Hiro didn't dare turn around. The voice sounded female, and it wasn't one that he recognized. _Busted_, he thought, wondering if he could outrun a Peace Officer.

"The bed sheet absorbs the ultrasonic waves so that there aren't any return signals to set off the sensor. Ingenious, really."

Hiro bit his lip. This didn't sound like something a Peace Officer would say. Slowly, he turned his head to glance over his shoulder at the person behind him.

It was a girl, perhaps a few years older than him, dressed all in black. Her hair was shaved on one side and flowed past her shoulders on the other. It had been dyed different colors, but in the darkness Hiro couldn't tell which. She held a duffel bag in one hand, the other stuffed into the pocket of her over-sized jacket. No, she definitely wasn't an official. Still, he couldn't stop himself from asking, "You're not a Peace Officer?"

The girl laughed. "Oh, hell no!" She opened her mouth again, as if she had more to say, but shook her head and laughed some more.

Hiro relaxed, although he knew that he wasn't safe yet. If she wasn't a Peace Officer, she was a rule-breaker, and that was a group of people who were generally dangerous. He turned around all the way, bringing a hand up to clutch one of the straps of his backpack. He rubbed his fingers over the outline of the knife he had hidden there and tried to figure out if he could take this girl in a fight.

He took a step backwards, trying to slip away, but the girl's eyes found his and he was rooted in place. His vision started to blur, and he began feeling very light headed. "You're not a Peace Officer, either," the girl said softly, not blinking once, "so what are you doing out?"

_I could ask you the same thing_, Hiro's mind supplied his usual snark, but his tongue felt big and heavy and he couldn't seem to force the words out. "Bot fight," he ended up mumbling.

The girl smiled and blinked slowly. Hiro leaned over and put his hand on the wall, steadying himself as he began to feel more normal. He panted, suddenly out of breath. In that moment, he wished with all his heart to be back home in his room, tucked up in bed and letting his brother's even breaths lull him to sleep. He wanted nothing more to do with dark alleys and strange girls with hypnotic eyes. _Just let me go home!_

"Bot fight, huh?" she said, leaning against the wall as well. "I think Isaac used to go to those. Lemon-Lime, too. They were pretty good, if I remember correctly. Of course, they can't go _now_. Everyone hates them, especially that ass hat Yama."

Hiro stared at her, taking care not to look into her eyes. This was the second time she had cursed, and she seemed to think nothing of it. They both knew that no one was listening, not here, not now, but even the meanest of thugs at the bot fights checked over their shoulders when they swore. For this girl to do it so... _carelessly_...

"Who... the hell... are you?" Hiro panted, voice barely a whisper. Instinctively, he scanned the alley, making sure he hadn't been heard.

The girl scanned him, her gaze sliding from his face to his shoes and back up again. "Trim."

"What?"

"You can call me Trim."

Hiro shook his head. "That's not your real name."

The girl, Trim, laughed again. "Duh!" she exclaimed happily, pushing away form the wall and spinning needlessly.

For a while, Hiro watched her, and she watched him. He moved away from the wall and tried backing down the alley again. This time, she let him go.

Pulling out his sheet and holding it up in front of him, Hiro felt even stupider now than before. He could feel Trim's eyes on him, watching every step he took. Just before walking out of the alley, he glanced back at her.

She hadn't moved.

Hiro nearly ran home that night. He no longer stopped to put the sheet back into his backpack when he slipped into alleys, and he didn't check to make sure the main streets were empty before darting into them. He just kept going and going and didn't stop until he saw the familiar sign of his aunt's cafe.

He expertly scaled the side of the building, like he had done so many times before. Up on the top floor was the room he shared with his brother. He threw the window open, not caring if he woke Tadashi, thankful that he took the window sensor offline permanently the last time he messed with it. He tumbled into the room and lay on the floor, catching his breath.

Across the room, Tadashi stirred in his sleep, but he didn't wake up.

After a few minutes, Hiro got up to close the window. As he did, he looked out at his street, for a moment afraid that he might see Trim on the sidewalk, staring up at him, but everything was still. Relieved, Hiro let a small smile tug at his lips as he changed into his pajamas, throwing his dirty clothes into the hamper to be washed in the morning.

Sliding into bed, Hiro drew the covers up to his chin. He smelled the lavender fabric softener his aunt bought, breathed it in deep. In his head, he sang himself the same lullaby she sung to him when he was younger. It began to relax him, and before long he fell into an uneasy sleep.

Outside, in the shadows of the street, three pairs of hypnotic eyes watched his window, deep in thought.


	2. Chapter 2

"Morning, bonehead!" Tadashi called cheerfully, hitting Hiro in the head with a pillow.

Hiro groaned, pulling the blankets over his head just as Tadashi pulled them down. The younger Hamada peeled open his eyes and glared. Tadashi was smiling as he tugged Hiro off the bed and onto his feet. "Come on," he said. "Aunt Cass made breakfast."

Once Tadashi turned his back, Hiro stuck his tongue out at him. He contemplated going back to bed, but a glance at the clock told him that he would be reported. _Rule 106: all citizens must be awake and active by 7 o'clock on work and school days, 8:30 on days of rest._ The clock read 8:32, and Hiro felt like chucking it across the room. Instead, he stomped down the stairs and over to the table, sitting down next to his brother as Aunt Cass scooped a mound of scrambled eggs onto his plate, bidding him "good morning!" before sitting opposite of him.

A morning news show crackled over the radio they ate. "Break-ins at several government facilities were reported late last night," the reporter said in a disengaged voice. "Officials believe these to be the work of the radical group Antigravity and ask the public to remain calm. Any citizens who have information about this group are urged to report it."

The whole family turned to look at the radio at the mention of Antigravity. The government had only recently begun acknowledging its existence, despite rumors of it being spread through the public for years.

Aunt Cass shook her head. "I hope they catch them soon," she said. "I can hardly sleep at night knowing they're out there."

"Don't worry, Aunt Cass," Tadashi comforted. "They can't stay hidden forever."

Hiro was quiet, poking at what remained on his plate with his fork. He was thinking back to the girl in the alley last night. Was Trim in Antigravity? It was possible. She had probably stolen whatever was in that bag from the building she broke into. He wondered what it was.

Next to him, Tadashi was talking about how he and some of his classmates had been selected to work with Robert Callaghan on a project for the government. They hadn't decided what they were going to build, yet, but it was supposed to help take down Antigravity.

Aunt Cass squealed in excitement. "That's wonderful!" she exclaimed, rocketing out of her seat to hug Tadashi. "Oh, I'm so proud of you!"

"Yeah, that's great, Tadashi," Hiro said distractedly. Had he really met a member of Antigravity last night? And walked away safely? Trim didn't seem like a terrorist, she just seemed a little... off; dangerous, but not too threatening. Was that what everyone in Antigravity was like? Was _that_ what all the citizens were so afraid of?

"Shoot!" Aunt Cass cried, looking at the clock. "I need to open up the cafe. Hiro, honey, can you do the dishes for me?"

Hiro nodded, on autopilot. He gathered the plates off the table and brought them to the sink as Tadashi excused himself as well.

"Callaghan wanted to meet with us this morning," he explained. "I need to get moving, or I'll be late! Don't stay cooped up inside all day, okay Hiro?"

"Wasn't planning on it," Hiro replied, more to himself than to his brother, as Tadashi disappeared down the stairs.

-§-

The alleys that Hiro was so familiar with by night were foreign to him in the daylight. The graffiti that had yet to be cleared off the walls turned from indistinct shadows to bubbly letters and cross-eyed smiley faces. It was actually possible to see the trash that littered the ground. It was all so strange to Hiro, and he no longer felt so sure of himself. Why was he even doing this, anyway? Did he really expect Trim to be hanging around in the alleys, waiting for him?

"Back again so soon?"

Hiro jumped and spun around to see Trim smiling at him. Did she always do that?

She wasn't carrying a duffel bag this time, but had a backpack slung over her shoulder. In the light, Hiro could see that her hair faded from red to purple to blue, and she seemed to enjoy flipping it so that it caught the wind and flowed dramatically behind her.

"I, uh- I was just..." As he walked, Hiro had thought out what he was going to say to this girl. He was going to confront her about his suspicions, demand she explain what she had been doing last night, and turn her over to the authorities. Now that she was standing right in front of him, though, everything he planned to say sounded weak.

Trim's smile broadened. "You know bot fights only run at night, right?" she quipped.

"Sush!" Hiro immediately moved to throw his hands over her mouth. At night, you might be able to get away with whispering things like that in areas with less surveillance, but during the day you'd be arrested within five minutes, and Trim hadn't even bother to lower her voice!

"Hey!" she shouted, slapping his hands away. She instantly slipped into a very bad mood, glaring at Hiro furiously. He backed away, reminding himself that she was dangerous, before stopping and straightening his back. He came here to get answers, and he knew she wasn't going to give them if he acted like a wimp.

"I have questions for you," he said, sticking his chin up and hoping he sounded in control of the situation, "and you are going to answer them. But first, the Peace Officers are on their way, so we are going to move to someplace safer."

Trim let out a bark of laughter. "I can take those punks," she said, dropping her backpack and shaking out her arms. Hiro could see the head of a stuffed horse peeking out from the pack on the ground. _What the hell? This _anarchist _carries _stuffed animals _around with her?_

"No. We're going." Hiro stepped forward, grabbed her backpack, and stuffed it back into her arms. For a moment, she just stared at it, surprised. Hiro took that time to grab her arm and start pulling her out of the alley. She's walked about three steps before snapping back into herself.

"Don't go that way!" she said, stopping short. "There's no way we won't get nabbed if we go waltzing onto a surveyed street."

"Well, where do you suggest we go, then?" In the distance, Hiro could hear police sirens rapidly approaching. He was beginning to worry.

Trim grinned. "Come on," she said, her eyes gleaming mischievously. She grabbed Hiro's hand and pulled him over to a large puddle on the side of the alley. She placed her foot on it and left it there for a few moments before pulling it back. She moved her hands up to Hiro's shoulders, positioning him on the edge of the puddle. "After you," she said, and pushed him forward.

Hiro stepped forward instinctively, trying to keep his balance, but was surprised to find that his foot did not land with a _splash_ in the middle of the puddle. Instead it slipped soundlessly through the surface. His sole went through first, then he was in up to his ankle, then his knee. _There's no way this puddle is this deep,_ he thought, and let out a small shout as he found his whole body falling _through _the puddle. The world around him became dark and he tumbled down and down, eventually landing on a crash pad far below.

A few seconds later, Trim landed next to him. While Hiro had ended up sprawled on his front, she landed on her feet, obviously having done this before.

Hiro rolled over and stared up at the ground, the "puddle" they had fallen through. There it was, glittering like silver far above.

"I probably shouldn't have brought you down here," Trim said, walking over to him and helping him up. Around them, lights began to come on, dim at first but soon growing brighter. Hiro looked around, wondering where they were. "Anyway," Trim went on, "welcome to the Pipes!"


	3. Chapter 3

The Pipes were a system of underground tunnels that led all around the city, even beyond it. Trim's words echoed around them as she took a step back, letting Hiro take it all in. The black walls seemed to run on forever, and Hiro noticed that they formed a perfect dodecagon. He wondered why. "So this is how you guys get around," he breathed, awe-struck at the idea that something like this had existed under his feet for so very long, and he had had no idea.

"Oh, yeah. I guess this is the part of the day where you ask your questions, and I answer them."

Hiro shot her a glance, recognizing this as her poking fun at his earlier words. "Yeah," he said, taking a deep breath.

Trim plopped down on the crash pad, folding her legs under her as she waited for him to start questioning her.

"Okay, first things first... are you in Antigravity?"

Trim nodded, the expression on her face seeming to say, _but you already knew that._

"So, last night, when you stopped me in the alley, you had just come from one of the break-ins that was reported this morning."

"Right again."

"What was in the bag?"

"Plans," she said simply. Anticipating Hiro's next question, she continued, "For a new type of listening device the government wants to put in everyone's clothes."

Hiro started. That wasn't what he had been expecting. He thought it might have been money or weaponry, but plans for more surveillance? "Why?"

"What do you mean 'why?' It's what we do!"

"It's what you do?" Hiro repeated, not understanding. They only stole plans? No, that wasn't right. He had heard reports of government officials going missing, prototypes being stolen, property being destroyed, all linked to Antigravity.

"Yes," she said slowly. "Don't you know what we do?"

"Of course I do," Hiro shot back defensively. "You plot to take down the government... and stuff."

"No!" Trim all but shouted, shaking her head. "Well, a little bit. It's not so much a problem with the government as a problem with government surveillance." She got to her feet and started walking down the tunnel. Not knowing what else to do, Hiro followed her.

"Doesn't it bother you," she continued, "that you're constantly being watched? That you can't say what you want to say, because someone is always listening? Does that seem fair to you?"

"Well, no, but it's fo-"

"'For the public's protection,' I know, I know. I've read the fliers."

That was the government's big line: everything was "for the public's protection." When a worker arrived at the house to install a new, upgraded door sensor, it was "for the public's protection." When the number of cameras on each street was doubled, it was "for the public's protection." When curfew was changed to be two hours earlier, it was "for the public's protection."

Trim looked back at him over her shoulder. "You know, there used to be a time when this place was the land of the free? Tell me, don't you ever feel like you're trapped? Or stuck in a cage? Have you ever actually felt free?"

Hiro was shocked. He never let himself recognize that he did, indeed, feel caged in in his city. That was part of the reason he liked going to the bot fights so much- the thrill of breaking curfew, of sneaking through the streets in the dark, of being fooling the governments "inescapable" surveillance.

"I see your point," he said as they turned into a different segment of the Pipes.

"You see?" Trim said, shooting him a smile. "We're not so terrible."

"Well, I don't know about _that,_" Hiro joked.

Trim laughed as they came up on another crash pad. She walked over to the wall at the foot of it

, placing her foot on it and leaving it there until a series of ladder rungs popped out. Looking up, Hiro could see that they led to another entrance to the Pipes, again hidden as a silvery "puddle."

"Up you go," she told him, nodding to the ladder.

Hiro walked up to it and placed his hands on one of the rungs. There he stopped, thinking. Just that morning he had been terrified of Trim, and now... "See you tonight?"

Trim shook her head. "Seriously? Me and the gang are packing up and moving out?"

"What? Why?"

"Why wouldn't we? So we could stay and get arrested? No thanks."

_Oh. _She thought he was going to report them. And he was, wasn't he? That's why he had gone looking for Trim. And even though Antigravity wasn't trying to completely destroy the government, they had still stolen and kidnapped and who knew what else! Any good citizen would have reported them within two seconds of even having glimpsed them.

But Hiro wasn't a good citizen; he was a rule-breaker.

"Don't worry," he said with a smile, "I won't tell."


End file.
